The issue should be apparent. 20 years of sitting in the barn, rust/sludge in the coolant system ate through the housing. Hole is about 3/4" wide at the widest points. Need to fix it somehow.

It's right under the crank hole bridge on the other side. Further complicated by a slight ridge going to the petcock drain.

Weld? Braze? JB Weld? Seal off with a bolt through and a thick rubber washer? Would you patch with a plate? Or drill a a hole through it to make it round and then affix a plug to it (braze/solder/weld around plug). Metal around the hole is fairly good. Looks to just be this spot.

Being the cheap*** I am, I'd wire brush both sides, cover the bottom w/a strip of duct tape fill the hole w/JB weld! Might even coat the inside w/an epoxy after the JB weld had set up as double insurance. Dusty B

I would fix Great Grandpa's Cub in a heartbeat if at all possible rather than using the throwaway mentality, this is not a new toaster! If everything else is sound and just the one hole are you sure it wasn't "made" and not rusted through? Maybe it got broken out by something and parked because didn't have time or need to fix right away and that turned into twenty years? Add another story to Great Grandpas Cub, how you fixed the hole.

And if it doesn't hold you can always replace it later, but if the original goes to scrap it's gone.

You could try one of those rubber expantion plugs they sell to replace freeze plugs in engine blocks. Not sure what sizes they come in but looks like they would work. heavy piece of rubber with washer on both sides and a bolt with a nut through the middle. tighten the nut and squish the rubber to seal the hole.

Pete from Virginia Beach

man comes into the world cold naked wet and starving, and after that things get worse. "Gun Smoke"

[quote][/quote]Either braze or use cast iron weld and install a thicker steel plate were the cast iron in the bolster is still thicker. You could also drill and tap a plate over it too and use the high temp silicone to seal it.

I'm technically misunderstood at times i guess its been this way my whole life so why should it change now.

dieseldennis , i havent checked how far brandon is from walker,la. , but if your ever out this way soon enough , i can braze it for you . i do charge a iced tea an hour . coppersmythe....................................PS : what i have been guilty of using , is a two part epoxy that my brother the boat captain swears by from experience . it comes in a tube, looks like playdough , and will cure underwater . it works ,and when painted over , looks just like cast iron . ( FULL DISCLOSURE AT TIME OF SALE )

Seeing this tells me we need to drain a little from the bottom plug to keep this from happening to our cubs. Or add some radiator conditioning rust free stuff to it. I think the older water pump lube had the rust preventor in it. I have some texaco stuff somewhere.

I'm technically misunderstood at times i guess its been this way my whole life so why should it change now.